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Hi! I haven’t posted an update in a while, so I thought I would let you know how I have been doing. This summer I have been able to swim a lot, and I am using different muscles that haven’t been used in so long. The more activity I do the more muscle pain, and soreness I have, mostly a lot of neck pain, and that makes me feel fatigued quite a bit. I have ups and downs, but overall I have been doing well.

Tomorrow I am going to the US vs Costa Rica women’s soccer game, and I am now enrolled in college and I start fall semester, which is exciting!

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One year ago I began my chronic illness recovery journey. My life has changed so much. For years I have wondered when I would finally feel better. I didn’t get better over night. I am still working on feeling better.

It has been a year or growth, learning, and Changes. It has been an amazing new beginning. I have gotten through, and survived my worst days. I can now put those days behind me and move forward.

You say: “It’s impossible ” God says: All things are possible

You say: ” I can’t do it” God says: You can do all things

“I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the LORD Most High.” Psalm 7:17

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I have written about being in recovery, but I have never gone into much detail about what I found out, and what I have done to treat my illness.

Going to a chiropractic neurologist changed my life completely. Before I met him my illness was a extremely debilitating, the pain, and exhaustion were extreme. There was no escape from my illness. I could hardly sit up, my muscles hurt all the time. The pain was always there. My brain felt horrible, it was so heavy it felt liked a bowling bowl, every step I took felt awful. The list of symptoms I had seemed endless. I have been sick for seven years, but those symptoms had been that extreme for over two and half years. I was desperate for some relief.

They symptoms I needed help with the most were undiagnosed. I have had always had a hard time explaining the way my brain felt, other than it feeling heavy, foggy, and horrible. At first appointment with a balance test, and a gaze assessment we were able to find out so much about what was going on.

I will try to explain this the best I can. Here it goes…

The Vestibular System – The vestibular system includes the parts of the inner ear and brain that help control balance and eye movements. If the system is damaged by disease, aging, or injury, vestibular disorders can result.

Your brain is supposed to know where you are in space, and to keep you upright. It is supposed to automatic that your brain is aware of your surroundings. When things go wrong with your vestibular system it create so many problems.

The vestibular system detects motion of the head in space and in turn generates reflexes that are crucial for our daily activities, such as stabilizing the visual axis (gaze) and maintaining head and body posture.

My vestibular system was broken. Every time I turned my head my brain was receiving the wrong messages. My brain didn’t know where I was in space. My brain would think that I was falling forward, and to stop me from falling my muscles would tense up really bad. My muscles were even tense when I was laying down. This also caused most of my other symptoms I was having. It was the reason for so much of my chronic pain.

Click herefor more information about the human balance system, and here for more information about the symptoms of a vestibular disorder.

I also found out that I had Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (or BPPV). My brain was dealing with vertigo 24/7. Even if I didn’t feel dizzy at times it was always there. I would get exhausted really quickly, and I have to to lay down. My brain adapted to the situation the best that it could. My brain felt the safest laying down, so it didn’t want me to get up and do much, or even sit up.

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (or BPPV) is the most common cause of vertigo, a false sensation of spinning.

My ability to hold my gaze was also broken. My eyes couldn’t even hold on a non moving target. This is where so much of my energy was being used.

When he told me what was going it started to make sense of how I was feeling. I could never describe what I feeling, and I never knew what going on with it. It was a good feeling to have someone explain to me what was going on, even without me providing a clear description of what was happening. Not having a diagnosis I always wondered

These doctors and their treatments need to be talked about more. Their treatments are amazing, and they can help so many people. I think what amazed me the most about their treatments is how pain less they are, and how little movement really needed to be done for me to feel better.

One of the first treatments started out with simple movements of my arms, and legs. I also did a lot of exercises to help BPPV (similar to the one below on the right). Over the next few weeks of this I could tell a big difference, standing, and walking were already becoming easier. My brain was getting better little by little. I also did a lot of eye exercises to help my gaze, and over time also helped me have more energy. I think what amazed me the most about their treatments is how pain less they are, and how little movement really needed to be done to help me to feel better.

I actually saw real progress.

Here is a little bit about what Chiropractic neurologists do:

These doctors and their treatments need to be talked about more. Their treatments are amazing, and they can help so many people.

Everything about my experiences with my doctor and treatment is different from anything treatment I have tried before. I actually see real progress, and improvement.

You can Contact me at heidijones095@yahoo.com or leave a comment here. If you think this could help you or someone you know in any way please, feel free to ask me any questions you may have.

In all the years I have been sick I am now on path I have never been on before. I am on a path of healing and recovery. Before I went to a chiropractic neurologist I was only surviving, now I am beginning to live.

I am officially done with my all of my high school credits! I am also excited because now I able to start planning a vacation to help celebrate getting my diploma, and most of all getting better! I haven’t been on a vacation in five years because of my illness. It feels good to finally be done with chapter in my life and now I can continue to move forward.